We present a systematic study of the properties of the narrow-line region (NLR) of narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies (NLS1s) using Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) spectroscopy. Various correlations between the observed parameters and physical properties of NLS1s and broad-line Seyfert 1 galaxies (BLS1s) are detected. We search for possible origins of these trends by employing correlation analyses. We further investigate the relationship between black hole mass, Eddington ratio (L/LEdd) and physical parameters of the NLR.

We present the results obtained from our deep survey of lensing clusters aimed at constraining the abundance of star-forming galaxies at z∼6–11.

We present the results of six Suzaku observations of the recurrent black hole transient 4U 1630–472 during its decline from its most recent outburst in 2006. All observations show the typical high/soft state spectral shape in the 2–50 keV band, roughly described by an optically thick disk spectrum in the soft energy band plus a weak power-law tail.

The disk temperature decreases from 1.4 keV to 1.2 keV as the flux decreases by a factor 2, consistent with a constant radius as expected for disk-dominated spectra. All the observations reveal significant absorption lines from highly ionized (H-like and He-like) iron Kα at 7.0 keV and 6.7 keV.

The energies of these absorption lines suggest a blue shift with an outflow velocity of ∼1000 km s−1. The H–like iron Kα equivalent width remains approximately constant at ∼30 eV over all the observations, while that of the He–like Kα line increases from 7 eV to 20 eV. Thus the ionization state of the material decreases, as expected from the decline in flux.

The data constrain the velocity dispersion of the absorber to 200–2000 km s−1, and the size of the plasma as ∼1010 cm assuming a source distance of 10 kpc.

We have performed the first three-dimensional non-linear simulation of the turbulent convective envelope of a rotating 0.8 M⊙ RGB star using the ASH code. Adopting a global typical rotation rate of a tenth of the solar rate, we have analyzed the dynamical properties of the convection and the transport of angular momentum within the inner 50% in radius of the convective envelope. The convective patterns consist of a small number of large cell, associated with fast flows (∼3000m/s) and large temperature fluctuations (∼300K) in order to carry outward the large luminosity (L ∼ 400L⊙) of the star. The interactions between convection and rotation give rise to a large radial differential rotation and a meridional circulation possessing one cell per hemisphere, the flow being poleward in both hemisphere. By analysing the redistribution of angular momentum, we find that the meridional circulation transports the angular momentum outward in the radial direction, and poleward in the latitudinal direction, and that the transport by Reynolds stresses acts in the opposite direction. From this 3-D simulation, we have derived an average radial rotation profile, that we will ultimately introduce back into 1-D stellar evolution code.

We present the result of the analysis of the point-by-point correlation between the radio continuum (RC) and CO intensities from kpc to sub-kpc scales in 22 BIMA SONG galaxies and the point-by-point correlation at sub-kpc scales between the RC, CO and 24 μm-IR emissions in 6 galaxies for which Spitzer images have been recently released. We found that there is no significant variation of the slope and the scatter of the correlations at this spatial resolution. All three correlations are comparably tight with scatter of less than a factor of two.

Wide or fragile pairs are sensitive probes of the galactic potential, and they have been used to provide information about the galactic tidal field, the density of GMC and the masses of dark matter perturbers present in both the disk and the halo. Halo wide binaries and moving clusters, since they are likely to be the remains of past mergers or of dissolved clusters, can provide information on the dynamical and merger history of our Galaxy. Such remnants should continue to show similar motions over times of the order of their ages. We have looked for phase space groupings among the low-metallicity stars of Schuster et al (2006) and have identified a number of candidate moving clusters. In several of the moving clusters we found a wide CPM binary already identified in our catalogue of wide binaries among high-velocity and metal-poor stars (Allen et al 2000a). Spectroscopic follow-up studies of these stars would confirm the physical reality of the groups, as well as allow us to distinguish whether their progenitors are dissolved clusters or accreted extragalactic systems.

I shortly review the investigation of dust in the early universe. I discuss the possible evolution of the dust properties, as well as the possible dust production mechanisms at z>6.

On August 17 and 18, 2006, Commission 46 on Astronomy Education and Development held a Special Session at the IAU XXVI General Assembly in Prague. The session, on Innovation in Teaching/Learning Astronomy, was organized around four themes: (i) general strategies for effective teaching, (ii) connecting astronomy with the public, (iii) effective use of instruction and information technology, and (iv) practical issues connected with the implementation of the 2003 IAU Resolution that recommended including astronomy in school curricula, assisting schoolteachers in their training and backup, and informing them about available resources. Approximately 40 papers were presented orally; in addition, 60 poster papers were displayed.

Many of our annual showers do not have active parent comets. In recent years, minor planets have been identified that move among the meteoroids streams. Some streams, such as the Quadrantids, Geminids, and Sextantids, are in such unusual orbits that the probability of a chance association is only of order 1 in 106. The streams identify those objects as dormant comet nuclei. Other streams, such as the Phoenicids and α-Capricornids are associated with minor planets that were found to be weakly active at their last perihelion passage. All the streams investigated so far are young, less than 2,000 years old, and can not have been created in the classical sense of meteoroids being ejected from the comet nucleus by water vapor drag. Instead, these (mostly) dormant comets lost fragments at some point in the past, which crumbled into meteoroid streams. Scars of such events are now identified on the surface of active Jupiter family comets 9P/Tempel 1 and 81P/Wild 2. Thus, the meteor showers on Earth bear witness to what is the dominant mass-loss mechanism of comets in the inner solar system, a process that can account for much of the zodiacal cloud dust and the zodiacal dust bands.

We investigate the rotation of dark matter halos identified in ΛCDM simulations. After removing halos that contain a significant amount of substructure, about 82% of the remaining halos were found to undergo coherent rotation over 5h−1 Gyr. The rotation speeds follow a log-normal distribution. The average rotation speed of a halo was 0.11h rads/Gyr. Less than half of the selected halos showed alignment between their rotation and minor axes. We found no correlation between halo properties, such as total mass, and the rotation speed.

We discuss a long-term solution for the insolation quantities of the Earth.

The dynamics of binary Near-Earth objects (NEO) are discussed and a simple model for the study of their dynamics is introduced. Main results on the motion and stability of binary asteroids are reviewed. The effect of perturbations external to the binary system, including solar gravity, solar radiation pressure, and planetary gravity, are considered.

We present results from a global 3-D nonlinear simulation of magnetic dynamo action achieved by solar convection in a penetrative geometry. We include within the spherical computational domain both the bulk of the convection zone and a portion of the underlying stable layer. A tachocline of rotational shear is realized below the convection zone, where we have imposed both a hydrodynamic drag term and small thermal perturbations consistent with thermal wind balance. Thus we are capturing many of the dynamical elements thought to be essential in the operation of the global solar dynamo, including differential rotation arising from convection, magnetic pumping, and the stretching and amplification of toroidal fields within the tachocline. In the stable region, the simulation reveals that strong axisymmetric toroidal magnetic fields (about 3000 G in strength) are realized, in contrast to the mostly fluctuating fields that predominate in the convection zone. The toroidal fields in the stable region exhibit a striking antisymmetric parity akin to that observed in sunspots, with fields in the northern hemisphere largely of the opposite sign to those in the southern hemisphere. These deep toroidal fields are accompanied by mostly dipolar mean poloidal fields, whose polarity has retained the same sense over multiple years of simulated evolution.

Results of the Hayabusa mission to image and sample the asteroid Itokawa are summarized.

Using the spectral fitting technique we have studied the components contributing to the soft X-ray spectra of four AGN. The selected objects are the Seyfert 1 galaxies: HE 1143-1810, Mkn 110, CTS A08.12 and ESO 359-G19. The high-resolution X-ray spectra analysed were taken with the Reflection Grating Spectrometers on board the XMM-Newton satellite. In contrast to the results for other well-studied Seyfert 1 galaxies, we have found that the spectra of the four galaxies lack of significant absorption features. Hence, there are no signs of high-column-density partially-ionised absorbing material in the vicinity of the active nucleus in these galaxies.

The contact eclipsing binary system XX Leonis (p = 0.97 days, Sp A9) has been analysed using the PHOEBE programme, based on the Wilson–Devinney code. The BVRI light curves were obtained during spring 2006 using the 20-cm telescope and ST-7 CCD detector. The effective temperature of the primary component determined from the photometric analysis is T = (7342 ± 14) K, the inclination of the orbit is i = (84.83 ± 0.29)° and the photometric mass ratio q = (0.40 ± 0.01). The third-body hypothesis was also suggested; based on a period analysis using 57 minimum times this gave a period for the third body of p 3 = (59.66 ± 0.05) yr, an amplitude of A = (0.036 ± 0.028) day and zero eccentricity, which yields as a minimum mass M 3,min = (0.91 ± 0.01) M ⊙.

We present archival optical-IR observations of a number of short period X-ray novae (XRNe). We use these to show that in contrast to the current paradigm, there is likely significant non stellar flux in the infra-red (IR).

Numerical simulations of convection-driven dynamos in rotating spherical shells are employed to better understand the observed strength and geometry of planetary magnetic fields. The model computations cannot be performed for realistic values of several of the control parameters. By varying parameters within the accessible range, it is possible to derive scaling laws for the magnetic field strength and the flow velocity in the dynamo region and for the dipole moment. Our scaling laws suggest that, even though diffusivities are far too large in the models, diffusive processes do not play an important role, just as in planetary cores. Extrapolating the scaling laws to planetary values of the control parameters leads to reasonable predictions for the field strength in the dynamo region and fits the observed dipole moments decently, in particular in the cases of Earth and Jupiter. For Mercury, which does not fit well when applying the scaling laws in a straightforward way, a model is proposed in which the upper part of the fluid core is stably stratified and the dynamo operates only in its deep regions. The time-varying dynamo field must diffuse through the stable region and is attenuated by the skin effect. The model explains why Mercury has a very weak but probably dipole-dominated magnetic field.

In order to initiate the discussion after the talks of this session, questions such as ‘what seismology can teach us? Which seismic constrains are needed to test stellar modelling and particularly convection?’ have been asked to the audience.

Results of the SMART-1 mission to Earth's Moon are summarized.